Fire and Water
by Aster Uchiha
Summary: My life is in debt Uchiha Sasuke... I only see one way out. To find some horrible secret and expose him for the hypocritical traitor he HAS to be! But all that has fallen to the wayside. I need to know more about that brother of his. Uchiha Itachi...?
1. Part I

This is the same fic as before, I just deleted the story and I am reposting it correctly. Sorry for any confusion. If this is your first time reading it, I hope you enjoy this peice of crap fic.

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Chapter One... No I'm not lying.

I stroked my raven braid delicately. It was my pride and joy, my signature style. The black ribbon of my headband flowed into the dark waves of hair that snaked down my back. Where the cloth ended and my hair began was impossible to tell. Tiredly, I straightened my robe-like dress. It was large, baggy, and came down to my ankles in an earthy, brown, shape-less mass. My fingertips barely showed at the end of my cuffed sleeves. I looked down over my form. I had another signature 'habit.' I hid all my weaponry underneath my robe. Under the robe, I have a skin tight body suit. The weapons _are_ heavy,** but** they don't hinder my speed. It's what sets me apart. Normally, as ninja fight, they slow down from fatigue. I am an exception, but only because of my specialized fighting style. I fight only using the arsenal of projectile weapons I have hidden on me. While I attack the enemy, I lose the enormous weight of the shuriken, sebon, and kunais I carry. As I lose weight, I become faster. Not only do I then have the upper hand physically, but it mentally diminishes the opponent too. So long as I am faster, there's no way I'll lose.

Proud of own cleverness I smiled into the mirror, only to realize my surroundings. My stomach lurched and threatened to return my miniscule breakfast. I was in a hotel, in_ Konoha._ _**Konoha, **_the last place on earth that I wanted to be. Under different circumstances, I wouldn't have minded so much, but... I was here to repay a debt because of a failure in my brilliant attack strategy. The memory shoved its way into my consciousness, unbidden and unwelcomed.

The day was lightening up after the gloom of the fog that came off the ocean and settled over the Land of the Waves. The heat of battle had adrenaline thrumming through my blood, but my frayed nerves were slowing down my reactions. I had always been the leader in speed. Somehow, this lowlife rogue was besting me at my own game. I was just seconds too slow, but it was enough for the rogue ninja to find an opening. He dodged a fistful of shruiken and appeared behind me. I turned around and time seemed to stop. I wasn't as invincible as I had believed. Stunned, I stood immobilized. This worthless scum was about to end all that I had worked so hard to achieve. I knew wasn't I fast enough to escape his attack after my hesitation. I saw the claw reaching out of the masked freak's shroud and glinting in the budding sunlight. It was coming for my neck, just below my jaw, I could feel the blowing tingling before it even hit. But as I tried to wrap my head around my certain death, I was saved. An arm snaked around the front of my shoulders and swiftly uprooted me from the spot I should have died in. My eyes refused to leave the metallic claw implanted on the enemy's arm, as it shredded nothing but air. Being dropped onto the ground jerked me back to reality. I turned to identify my rescuer. A familiar, but still uncomfortable wave of nausea swept over me as I recalled Sasuke Uchiha standing beside me. I would rather have ended unceremoniously then and there, than lived and been in debt like this.

I turned rigidly to leave. As I did, I glimpsed my reflection in the mirror. My face was hard and ivory white with anger. I couldn't live like this. The_ last _thing I wanted to do was save Sasuke Uchiha from certain death. There had to be another way out of this mess. If only there was something he did that would cancel out every good deed he had done. Some dark twisted secret that no one knew. The kid screamed evil secret, finding a good piece of dirt on him shouldn't be too hard. But he was _so _secretive. Finding out what I wanted to know was going to be a bit more of a task than I anticipated… I would have to stick to the brat like glue.

I left quickly, practicing my stealth before the day _really_ began by sliding out the window. As the sun rose, I sat rather uncomfortably seated in a tree overlooking Uchiha's house. All the windows were curtained and shuttered, to my dismay. How was I supposed to know if this guy was even awake?! But fortunately for my sanity, he walked out the front door arrogantly without keeping me too long.

I had assumed the arrogance and tough guy act was, well, an _act._ But even now, with no one in sight, he strutted down the pathway with malice. Exactly what kind of person was I following? Seeing this, I wasn't so sure about what I would do if he caught me. Not really that I had been sure of that in the first place.

While I surveyed him from my cover in the abundance of shrubbery around the village, he stopped by his teammates, only to blow them off, and slip away to train. When I say 'slip away,' I mean, I blinked, yawned, or something, and he was gone. Simple as that, gone. I panicked and almost fell from one of my treetop perches. How could anyone disappear like that?! This wasn't a fair game. But he had not so politely excused himself from his comrades' presence to train, if I overheard correctly. It shouldn't be too hard to track him if he was honest to them. I regained my poise and slid into the shadows to search the training grounds.

I found the part of the forest that enveloped Konoha and had been set aside for training grounds easily. They appeared empty and desolate at first. He must have lied! That definitely meant he was up to something unwholesome, but the knowledge did me no good without knowing exactly what it was. As I turned to leave in the shadows from whence I had come, I realized that the emptiness of the training area was only part of some genjutsu. This genjutsu was odd and unlike any I had seen before. But even more puzzling was its purpose. Why would someone go through all this trouble? Whoever it was, was obliviously up to something no good. This was much more interesting than anything that Sasuke could ever be involved in. I decided it was a worthy sidetrack, considering the arguments against it were flimsy and not worth my thought. What was I now, the foreign ninja detective of Konoha?

I set off by moving tree by tree. I had time. Who ever was here, was in my sights and I had the up on them now. I came across two or three clearings, all empty and devoid of clues. By the fourth or fifth one I came across, I was growing tired of my stealthy and routine sweeps of the massive training areas. But nonetheless, I crept to the edge of the clearing. I was about to leave until I heard a voice. At first I thought I was going slightly insane, but I came closer to the outer edge. That was when I recognized Sasuke's voice. A million questions exploded in my mind at once.

"You won't get away with what you've done," he yelled," I will kill you!"

The words shocked me. I had to take some kind of action. Without thinking, I leapt out of my hiding place and into the edge of the clearing. I stood there unnoticed while another ninja flew towards Sasuke. The ninja seized him by the throat and rammed him into a tree. I watched the jacket the mysterious ninja wore settle around him while he calmly held Sasuke's neck. The rest of his body caught up to his head, which proceeded to meet the tree mercilessly. I studied the red clouds on the black background of the jacket, while the ninja held Sasuke's eyes. From my vantage point I could only see the black hair of the ninja that swept back into a pony tail, which I could only guess the length of. It struck me, as I stood dumbfounded, that Sasuke and the new ninja shared almost the same exact shade of black hair.

"Good bye little brother," I heard the ninja say in low, deadly voice.

_What?! Brother?! _When did Sasuke have any family? Such a self-centered person was surely an only child.. Right? The shock was too much.

"STOP!" I cried, wanting time to wait for me to get my bearings again, so that I could comprehend the situation before me. Too many shocks all at once.

The ninja, who I now identified as Sasuke's brother, turned and met my eyes. The blood red of the sharingun was more mesmerizing and terrifying than I could have imagined. The world swam away and I felt my body taken over by an unexpected numbness. Was this the power of the sharingun? As I gaped at him, I began to feel almost as if I had known him from some past life. The hard expression on his face softened. Maybe that was a trick of my imagination. I stood transfixed until he turned away, and broke the spell he had over me. He abruptly dropped Sasuke to the ground and disappeared into the lengthening shadows of the forest.

I did not move my feet from where he had rooted them, until I heard Sasuke gasping and gulping for air. It dawned on me that he must have been choking Sasuke, as I walked dazedly towards him. I stood over him, staring at a patch of the sky through the trees, pondering the last minute or so of my life. I looked down to see Sasuke reach his hand out towards me. Still half gone, I stared at it with a quizzical expression. Then I realized he had wanted help to him up whilst he pulled himself upright. Embarrassed at my idiocy and angry that he had the audacity to do such a thing, I turned my back to him.

"What did you – cough - do to him?" Sasuke asked, still struggling for air. "What did you do?" he insisted in slightly steadier voice.

I didn't say anything. The question had caught me off guard. I had no idea what kind of answer he expected. I couldn't give something that I simply didn't have.

Instead I asked a question of my own," Who was that exactly? Why did he call you 'little brother?'"

He paused and his face hardened to stone. Clearly this was something he did not want to answer. "It doesn't matter to you." he replied sternly.

"Answer me, or I'll find other ways to get what I want.." I said curtly.

"_I said_ it was none of your business.." He hissed, all his venom leaking out his eyes as he glared at me with contempt.

"I saved you, I want answers." I said, pulling my defective triumph card. But he didn't seem to notice its flaw, and sigh resignedly

"If you must know, it _was_ my brother." He said as if that explained everything.

But I persisted on, "I heard what you said earlier. Why do what to kill him? I mean he's your _brother_, right?"

"I hate him," Sasuke replied slowly. Getting answers from him was like pulling teeth. _Well duh! I mean I just go around trying to slaughter the people I adore most. I had no idea you hated him_, I thought maliciously.

"_Why_ do you hate him?" I said as if speaking to a small uncomprehending child.

He gave a disgusted look. "He killed my entire clan. I'm the only survivor," he replied acidly.

I stared stupidly at him. I had no idea until exactly who he was. I remember vaguely hearing about the massacre when I was younger a few years back. I wondered why I hadn't made the connection sooner.

"I am an avenger.." he said quietly, and for once without prompting. I glanced up form my feet to his face, only to see him watching the forest.

His words stirred an anger in my heart and I pitied him a little. Without my permission, the words escaped my mouth, "You can't live in the past. You'll have to move on eventually." I sounded harsh and critical, even to myself.

"Who are you to judge me?" he said, turning on me. "You don't know anything about what my life has been like."

"You're right, I don't know. But that doesn't mean you can isolate yourself like this. Your 'mission in life', or whatever, it's wrong, and you know it." I whispered, trying to catch his eyes.

"Like you said, you don't know anything.." Sasuke replied, twisting my own words around on me. Before I could argue what he said, he turned and left me alone in the training grounds as twilight came over the world.

I guess that explained some things. My debt to him was repaid, I could leave to go home now. But leaving like that, it would have left too many questions unanswered. I couldn't just walk away from the mess in which I had entangled myself. I had solved one problem only to stumble into another.

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Yep.. She's a retard. I know, and that's why I love her. And kinda hate her.. Give me reviews.. PLEASE!! 


	2. Part II

Yes.. I know I was never very original.. What ever. This fic makes no sense, but it sure was fun to type..

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Chapter 2 ???

As I made my way home, I pondered the information I had managed to extract from Sasuke. Memories of the afternoon floated back to me. I felt strangely drawn to the ninja I had now come to know as the murderous older brother of Sasuke Uchiha. Any normal person would have been repulsed and distanced by fear for their own lives. But the more I thought about things, the more I felt the need to find this person and… What would I do if I found him anyways? He'd probably kill me, so maybe trying to find him wasn't oh so smart, but as the saying goes, 'Curiosity killed the cat.' The part that nobody remembers though, is 'But it died satisfied." I had never associated myself with a cat, but the saying was oddly appropriate.

I went home and dressed for bed. I laid there, hopeful for sleep until I realized it was an impossible goal. I sighed and pulled myself out of bed. Too much was left unanswered today. It couldn't come to a close just yet.

I dressed and went back to the clearing. I wasn't sure why at first, but it was the only place I could think of to go. I felt stupid standing in the middle of the forest in the wee hours of the morning, not even sure of why I was there.

I was almost asleep on my feet and sure at first that I was hallucinating. The silhouette was identifiable by the shape of the cloak. The only things that told me it wasn't just a shadow, were the red clouds illuminated by the dim shafts of moonlight. I stood still as I could, not wanting my sleep deprived hallucination to end. The shadow, my reeling mind had conjured as the older Uchiha, continued to approach steadily. It paused a few feet away from me and came no closer. My heart jumped into my throat, and I tried desperately to swallow it. Cautiously, I walked toward him. I still wasn't positive of my sanity and raised my left hand to touch his shoulder. Actually _touching_ his shoulder was a whole different matter though. I stood facing him with my hand hovering over his shoulder that seemed to be untouchable. Even in a situation where my life could be hanging in the balance, I still found ways to embarrass myself.

In an attempt to distract him from my frightened idiocy, I asked him probably the stupidest question ever asked. The fact that I had already asked Sasuke the same thing only made me stupider. "Who… Who are you?"

Without batting an eye he answered quietly in the same low, smooth voice as when he had threaten Sasuke, "Uchiha Itachi.."

The answer was not exactly what I had expected. It had never occurred to me that he might have a name other than Sasuke's brother.

"Oh.." I exhaled the sound quietly. In my discomfort, I tried to create small talk. "Your name…. It means weasel?"

He nodded slightly, but gave no more expression. This was too scary, I couldn't handle it. I started backing away. He grabbed my wrists and pulled me closer. My common sense was telling me to break away and run, but I did not resist. I was preparing for something bad. I had no idea _what_, but this obliviously couldn't be a turn for the better.

Instead, his right hand slid over mine and he handed me a folded and stiff piece of paper. I gripped it tightly and then he released me without warning. I looked down at my hand in astonishment. What could possibly be the meaning of this? I looked back up just in time to see him blend himself into the shadows. I realized my heart was thumping and the day's fatigue finally caught up me. I was sick with tiredness. I barely arrived back through the hotel window and in my rented bed. I was too tired to undress, let alone analyze the paper. I fell asleep across the bed, clutching it in my palm.

The next couple of days blurred together. I hardly rested or slept. My days were spent spying on Sasuke in the hope that maybe, he would have another treacherous run in with Itachi. Nights were occupied by nagging thoughts. I had gone into the forest that night for answers. I got one answer, and it gave me no solace. Instead, the cat's unfed curiosity was slowly killing me, in the most painful way possible.

On my second night of insomnia, I finally remembered the paper. I found it fallen under my bed. I stared at wondering whether opening it would trigger some kind of trap. Sasuke was so reluctant in explaining, and Itachi had so readily offered his one answer… Itachi was the bad guy right? How come he was so much more helpful? I was doubtful about unfolding it, but again, my cat-like curiosity got the better of me.

I sat watching the picture in my hands for clues moments later. The picture was old and worn, but the images in it were still clear. There were two boys in it. One was standing, slightly bent over to tap on the younger boy's shoulder. He was pointing at the camera, warning the younger one, who sat on the ground, of the photographer. A barley noticeable smile played on the lips of the older one, as he stared defiantly, directly at the camera. The little one sitting on the ground, was originally facing with his back to the camera. He looked surprised and the beginnings of anger showed on his face. The picture was obliviously not recent, but it was not hard to identify the boys. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew it was Itachi and Sasuke.

I sat on my small disaster area of a bed, examining the picture intently. It was odd to think of what kind of children they must have been before Itachi had massacred the Uchiha clan. What purpose did giving me this picture serve? As I let my mind wander, I found my hatred of Sasuke dissolving when I imagined the kind of child that he might have been. What on Earth was his idea in giving me this? I got no sleep that night.

I thought briefly about going to someone else and sharing my puzzling thoughts with them. The only person that I could think to interrogate was Sasuke. It was definitely not the smart thing to do, considering all the possible repercussions. In the end, I decided to keep the picture and my little night outing a secret.

My spying continued in the vain hope of seeing Itachi. I followed him and watched his training and who he talked to. My fatigue made me careless in my observation. I had a hard time staying awake to watch him. I kept nodding off.

One day, things started off as normal. I 'awoke' early, not that I had ever slept… Then I showed up in hiding just in time to see him leave. Thankfully he took the short route to team seven's meeting place. Again he was early and I sat in the trees, waiting, I guess you could say, with him.

The other two arrived about the same time. The pink haired girl, whose name I now knew was Sakura, usually got there only minutes before Naruto. That was probably a good thing, especially since she seemed to be inching ever closer to him and _always_ flirting. Naruto, whose name was impossible not to know because he seemed to always be trying to catch the spotlight, came to beg for Sakura's attention and squabble with Sasuke. It was really all kind of entertaining. I got a kick out Sasuke's annoyance and the frustration of the other two. Their sensei, Kakashi, was inevitably late. I had heard of him in the Mist Village. I was sure I didn't want to introduce myself to him under the current circumstances. He might just ask _why_ I was spying. It would be rather uncomfortable to explain that one. My actions would be taken as hostile, and surely Itachi was a wanted criminal after what he had done. They'd probably think I knew something about his whereabouts. I wished I did, though.

As I sat comatose in the tree, team seven's meeting ended, and Sasuke didn't waste any time ditching his comrades and going off to train. This was his routine, I had become accustomed to it very quickly. It was convenient for someone like me. I followed him as he ambled toward a particularly secluded spot in the training grounds. Abruptly his pace quickened. I was annoyed with his sudden, apparent zeal in training, it meant I had to be more vigilant. But then he went from a trot to a fast jog. He was moving fast, which made tracking him silently challenging. Then, as if to bewilder me more, he turned off the trail. Was this the dirty dealings I had been watching him for earlier? He began sprinting, I was falling behind. I struggled to keep up, but eventually I lost him. Desperately, I crashed through the forest canopy. The noise was loud, I was too tired to realized that if I caught up, I would be discovered. Suddenly he came into my field of vision. He was standing in the fork of an overgrown path. I wondered if maybe he had stupidly gone astray on a random jog and gotten lost.

I squatted in the trees glaring at him. If he was lost, there was no way I was getting out of here. I had no knowledge about this forest's layout. How had I gotten myself into another situation where I was dependent on _this _particular idiot?

A man walked out of the shadows in the overgrowth. I instantly recognized the tattered shroud and metallic arm claw. It was the same rogue ninja who had nearly killed me.

"I need to speak to you, Oboro…" Sasuke growled at the man.

"Shut up!" Oboro hissed. "Didn't you hear the sound in the trees?!"

Sasuke scowled at him disapprovingly, "What are talking about?"

"Someone was following you, idiot!" Oboro whispered angrily. He swiveled his head, which seemed to move separately from his body.

I was caught in another brilliant show of stupidity. Surely I would be killed this time. My mind raced. Sasuke and this rogue must have been in cahoots! What did that say about my near death experience? Was the whole thing planned?

"Nobody could have followed me. I would have known and not come here." Sasuke said in voice that was meant to ward off any kind of disagreement.

"You're sure?" Oboro asked, unsure just how far to trust the boy before him.

"Yes!" Sasuke insisted, his anger building quickly.

"Why are you here?" Oboro asked in a business-like manner.

Sasuke's anger visibly flared, "I was almost killed…" he hissed.

"What?" Oboro cried, obliviously this was new information to him. I wondered if that knowledge should comfort me.

"I ran into Itachi, not too long ago. I was almost killed," Sasuke paused to let his apparent partner digest the information. I noted how he put emphasis how close he was to being killed.

"You're still alive though," Oboro said coldly," So, you've killed him I take it, and no longer require my services?"

"I didn't kill him, that girl. The one who you almost killed in the Mist Village, she came out of nowhere and he ran away.." Sasuke replied slowly, thinking about what he said carefully.

" What did she do to him?" Oboro inquired, trying to get an idea for a plan of attack.

"You honestly don't believe I didn't ask her that already?" Sasuke exasperated. Oboro stared wide eyed as Sasuke lashed out him again. "She ignored me and started asking about Itachi.."

"Is she a member of Akatsuki or employed by Itachi?" Oboro inquired, calculating possibilities about me.

Sasuke gasped, "I can't believe I overlooked it…"

"Look, it doesn't matter.. If she asked about him, she might be an ally." He said trying to calm Sasuke. That seemed to help Sasuke gain his cool again.

But meanwhile, my stomach lurched. They thought we could possibly have a common goal. There was no way I'd help them. I didn't know Itachi, but I felt a strong urge to do anything I could to aid him. If they tracked me down, they would let me in on their little plan and ask for my help. If I refused, I was obliviously helping Itachi. That wasn't a lie, but I didn't want _them_ to know that.

I only half-listened as they hatched their plot. I was becoming more agitated by the moment. It was becoming too much to bear. Finally, in my blind fear, I ran like wildfire through the canopy. I ran at a dizzying pace, faster than ever before. I became more disoriented and confused. Part of me said to run away and leave the Leaf Village, but another part told me I had to find Itachi and tell him what I now knew. Without direction or certainty, I continued on. I swayed, slipped, and wobbled. Then, unceremoniously, I ran headlong into a tree. My speed and the sturdiness of the tree combined, I was knocked out with no hope of consciousness anytime soon.

It was dark when I came to. The trees whispered in the wind, I should have been cold. But for some reason I was still warm. I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, but I could still make out the figure above me. I vaguely recognized Itachi. I rolled my head to the side and a wave of pain went from my head all the way down to my spine. I realized I was warm because of the Akatsuki jacket over my body.

"I hit my head.." I tried to say, but the words were gargled and slurred. My voice sounded like the moan of the dying, in other words, not pleasant. Even so, he didn't seem unnerved or frightened by my weak, sloppy speech. I should have guessed he wouldn't be. My head throbbed again as I remembered smacking the tree full force, and I moaned in agony.

I guessed he was getting something out of a pocket I couldn't discern with my horrendous vision. He pulled out what seemed to be a small black cylinder. Carefully he unscrewed the lid and dabbed a small amount of something green under my nose. I tried to resist, but all my coordination was lost, my arms flapped uselessly at my sides, hardly leaving the ground. Whatever the stuff was, it smelled pungently of mint. I couldn't stand the smell, but it awaked all my senses and restored my ability to move properly. I bolted upright flinging off the jacket and vigorously rubbing my nose. He caught the jacket midair and pulled it on quickly, watching me in confusion.

As he stood and brushed himself off, I wondered what he looked like without that cloak. A devilish voice in my head said he probably looked really hot. I turned bright red and stared at my hands, embarrassed at my inappropriate thoughts. I looked up to thank him as he walked away. Then the rest of my memory returned.

"Wait," I cried, "I have to tell you something!" He turned his head slightly, but continued walking into the forest. His silhouette was disappearing quickly, I had no time to waste. "Sasuke,.. and that rain ninja! They're after you, please! Be careful!" He gave no response. I had no idea if he even heard me. Even so, not being one to give up, I began to chase him. I only ran a couple of steps before my legs started to give out on me. I could only hope he had gotten my warning.

I began walking home. I wasn't even sure I could make it there. Again my darker side interrupted my normal thoughts with the image of being carried home by Itachi. I became red faced even with no one around. Even if Itachi had gotten my warning, I doubted that he needed it. He was a child prodigy, missing nin since age thirteen, S-rank criminal, Akatsuki member. What good was I to him, really? My mind was finally becoming clearer! When I got home, I believe the clock read about three in the morning. I fell asleep in my bed easily, with Itachi drifting through my dreams and nightmares. It was probably the most sleep I had gotten since I met Itachi that day in the woods. Well, I guess if you call that meeting someone, anyways.

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Yeah.. I know that whole chapter was really wierd. Itachi is pretty much mute.. She's really twisted. I just read the last part since like the month or so ago I typed it.. Freako! I don't care.. Give me reviews!! 


	3. Part III

Did you notice the cheering at the begining of each chapter.. Haha. I've never written so much. I'm scaring myself, but having fun all at once!! I'm glad I'm reposting this.. I hope the next chapter doesn't make your brain fall out your ears.

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Chapter Three!! Yeah!!

I woke up bright and early. Even after giving myself a concussion and staying up for several days in a row, I still could not manage to sleep in. I sighed inwardly, I was on a subconscious mission to destroy myself. My body was stiff and rigid after spending the night pretezeled, upside down, and diagonal in my bed. I rolled lazily onto the floor and the sheets heaped on top of me. Stupid thoughts of Itachi and me defeating all the ninja in Konoha and spending our lives together fizzled in the back of my mind. I untangled myself slowly from the sheets and then realized for the second time, the importance of yesterday's spy work. I dressed and ate hurriedly. I had to make sure Itachi got my warning from last night. I knew it was probably pointless, but so was every other endeavor I took on lately, so did it really matter?

I made it to Konoha's outskirts and into the forest in record time. I moved quickly and stealthily through the canopy, not that this was anything new to me. The only difference was that I was by myself. If I got lost, there was no hope of getting back out of this forest. I had no way to mark any kind of path because all the trees still looked the same to me. I should have been able to differentiate them by now, but I had always been watching Sasuke here.

I checked and rechecked clearings and around streams. I had no other ideas of where to look.. I continued on, my search becoming more frantic as more time passed. I hadn't the slightest idea where Itachi was, or how to find him. For all I knew, Sasuke and Oboro had already found him. If that was true, I needed to find him now so I could somehow aid him. I contemplated that thought for a moment. How exactly could I help him if I was weaker than him? I was probably _way_ in over my head, but I was unable to give up now.

My heart wrenched at the thought of any harm coming to Itachi. Wow, this was what it was like to be insane. No one in their right mind would be doing what I was doing, but obliviously I wasn't in my right mind.

Eventually I began to tire myself out. I never realized how much worry and exercise took out of a person, but now I was coming to a full understanding. I sat on a branch where it met the trunk of the tree. I was breathing hard and beginning to sweat. I had a small sack of food with me, so I figured now was the time eat. The sun was high, and I guessed it to be a little after noon. I balanced myself on the limb and started gnawing on a kohakumochi. The bean filled sweets probably weren't the best thing to eat, but one had to agree that they were portable, practical, and an overall convenience.

The food was gone quickly, and I rested there as my stomach turned to stone with dread. I knew that I was sensing something bad. Not the way a physic senses, but like an animal's feral instincts. My overactive imagination conjured up gruesome pictures of what they could do to Itachi if I didn't find him soon. I stood shakily, trying to stave off my coming tears.

A hand clasped my mouth shut, and an arm wrapped around my shoulders, as I was grabbed from behind. I was pulled in to the gargantuan truck of the tree, while the person behind me restrained my futile attempts at freedom. I felt their breath in my ear and their hair sweep the side of my face, causing an unpleasant tingling to sweep through me.

"Don't move, make no noise.." I instantly recognized the low smooth voice of Itachi Uchiha.

Weirdly, I felt no more fear. Instead I became calm. The saying 'Don't call us, we'll call you,' suddenly had new meaning. I relaxed and leaned into him and the tree. Patiently, we waited for something. Something, I didn't know, but clearly, Itachi knew.

Minutes passed, and I sensed no danger. I didn't understand.. Why was he so tense? Snatching young girls from behind didn't seem to be a habit of Itachi's. At least, as far I knew, but then again.. What did I know? His grip on me slackened, but he didn't let go. I squirmed a little and turned to face him.

He was watching the surrounding forest with anxiety. This disturbed me. What did someone as strong and skilled as him need to fear?

"Itach-?" I started and he clamped my mouth shut.

Something disturbed the leaves around us. I looked to my left, the direction of the noise. Itachi pulled me into himself and leapt backwards. Surprised, I turned my head to see a metal claw reaching for me. My eyes widened in fright. It came close enough to cut my fly away pieces of hair into bangs. I felt it graze my nose, and then the warm trickle of blood down my face.

The claw banged against the tree loudly and stuck itself into the sinewy layers of bark, becoming trapped. I watched it dig deeper into the innocent flesh of the tree, and then rip itself free, horrorified. It was that moment, that I realized the claw belonged to Oboro. My stomach lurched with a resonating fear, but it quickly became anger. I pushed free of Itachi's arms and threw a handful of shruiken in Oboro's general direction..

I came running full speed and prepared another attack. He dodged the first, as I planned, and I threw my next serving of sebon when he presented an opening. The 'opening' was a trap. Oboro moved aside clumsily and swung the back of the claw, aiming for the side of my head.

I ducked and threw fistfuls of shruiken, then parried to the side. With his back turned to me, he dodged all my attacks. Oboro spun around and stared into my eyes with a blood lust like none I had ever known before. Frantically, I reached for the large shruiken on my back. I watched, stumbling backwards in fear, as he rushed at me still holding my eyes, fist raised. Just as my hand connected with the hole in the center, by which I grasped the weapon, his hand connected with the side of my face. My head spun with the force of the blow. The arm reaching behind me looped over the point of the shruiken. When he hit me, my hand automatically reached farther towards the center of it, and the sharp end gouged itself into my forearm. Pain radiated simultaneously from my head and arm.

Ignoring the waves of pain, I still managed to throw the large shruiken. It missed for the most part, but it shaved his ribs. The wound may have been shallow, but even so, it would shed plenty of blood. Oboro faltered, trying to regain himself. I took my chance to look around me. I saw behind me on the ground, Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke threw blow after blow, but Itachi moved deliberately and smoothly, each strike missing by miles. I was getting creamed over here while Itachi played a lazy game of dodge ball. What had I been thinking? I was only in the way here. It was pointless to risk my life for someone who didn't need it, _but_ here I was.

I stopped gaping at the action below me, just in time to see the gleaming metal of Oboro's arm claw reaching for my ribs. I slid as gracefully as one can out of the strike's range, but the sweeping attack was only a diversion to set up for a kick. I was unable move in time. His foot slammed into my collar bone and I felt it begin to break. Fortunately for me, he used too much power in the kick and was thrown off balance. I blindly threw kunai knives to where I thought him to be.

He struggled to evade my attack, but was successful. He was still tripping over himself from the overpowered kick and I took my opportunity to try to fill him with sebon and shruiken. Even stumbling and beat down as he was, hardly any of my weapons hit him. I would guess at best, that about half of my sebon hit non-vital areas, and maybe three or four shruiken struck him.

Exhausted after the multiple blows I had taken, I fumbled over my own feet and slumped against the side of a tree. In the heat of battle, I hadn't even realized we had come to the ground. I knew it wasn't over and tired desperately to pull myself up. I was only half-standing when Oboro recovered and came at me again.

I had barely raised my head, when I saw him only feet away. My reactions had slowed greatly, and I stood watching his foot come at me, imagining my evasion of it. But no matter how hard I pictured it, my body never moved. His foot thrust into my chest and knocked the wind out of me. Fear of death does funny things to people, one moment I was sure that I couldn't go on, the next I battling to remove the crushing force of his kick from my ailing body. Instead of pulling back and beating me to no end, he pinned me to the tree, with his foot digging ever deeper into my lungs. I was seeing spots before my eyes due to lack of oxygen. My sarcastic side wondered why most of the spots were blue and purple… Interesting. It was something to think about. If I lived.

"Now!" I heard Sasuke cry somewhere past Oboro.

What was that supposed to mean?! I didn't have much time to ponder over it because Oboro rammed his other foot into me and used my abused torso to boost his speed. I tasted blood and felt the air shoved from my body.

I fell forward to my knees and clutched my stomach, gasping in desperation for air. Any normal being would have tried to breathe before looking up, but not me. My vision was blurred, but even so, I could still make out the three figures before my eyes. Itachi, Sasuke, and Oboro.. Itachi stood in between the two, calmly surveying them. Sasuke and Oboro rushed at him full speed from both sides. Oboro with his metal arm and Sasuke with a kunai knife. My heart was in my throat and I tried to crawl towards the action, like an idiot. Instead I fell completely on my face and pinned my arms partially underneath my own body. At the last second, just before I squeezed my eyes shut to block out what I felt sure was coming, Itachi stepped back. Both attacks missed. Sasuke tried to redirect his attack, but it never even came close. Oboro continued on, unable to stop his momentum. Sasuke raised his eyes in time to see it, but wasn't fast enough to escape it completely.

As Oboro passed him, the claw grazed Sasuke's throat. I instantly recognized the spot of the wound from the medical classes I had taken, so that I could use sebon effectively. The coronary artery. To my horror, blood began to pour from the wound. Itachi moved faster than the human eye could track and pressed his hand to the shallow, but deadly cut, trying to slow the bleeding. Sasuke, somehow still consciencous, fought Itachi's hold. Without hesitation, Itachi used his sharingun to swiftly knock Sasuke unconsciencous , My blood became cold in my veins. Not for Sasuke, or out of surprise, but from what I saw behind them.

Oboro skidded to halt and turned ominously toward them. My heart thudded as I saw him smile, much like a carnivore would at its innocent prey. With a twisted expression on his face he came in for another try. What kind of person threw away their comrade's life like that and took joy in attacking someone trying to help another? Anger and an overwhelming sense of revulsion took over me. Somehow, I found the energy to stand. I ran faster than I had ever before toward him, all my anger building. Without thinking, I dove low to the ground, grasping the kunai knife Sasuke had dropped. Time seemed to slow, and I leapt up over Sasuke and Itachi. I elbowed Oboro over the head and watched the force ripple through his body. Before he even hit the ground, I plunged the kunai into the base of his neck. I felt it dig between the vertebrae and the piercing of his spinal cord through the handle of the weapon. Oboro fell, dead, before he even hit the ground.

I stood over his carcass, disbelieving of what I had just witnessed myself do. He had died so easily and quickly. I didn't feel any different. I had never killed anyone before now, but I felt that I had done the right thing.

"Do you have any medical supplies?" I heard Itachi's voice from behind me.

I turned to face him as he concentrated on keeping pressure on the bleeding. I had no understanding of _why_ he was saving Sasuke, but I wasn't about to refuse to help. I wrinkled my brow in thought. I didn't have any with me, but there had to be something I could do. Then I remembered the gauze I used to keep the weapon holsters from chafing my skin. All my weapons had been used up, and all the holsters were currently empty.

" I have an idea, give me a second.." I said pushing up my sleeves to reveal the numerous vacant holsters.

I rapidly pulled them off and carefully stripped away the precious gauze. The job was pain staking, but had to be done quickly. As I did so, I wondered why he was _saving_ Sasuke when he had killed his clan. After a few moments I had enough gauze to wrap his neck wound. Sasuke's blood was all over Itachi's hands and both of their clothes. Quickly as I could, I wrapped the gauze tightly as Itachi moved his hands away. The gauze did little, Sasuke was in serious need of medical help.

My unruly temper flared as remembered what Sasuke had been trying to do to the person watching over him currently. I wanted to leave him there, but Itachi had other ideas.

" I'll take you both into Konoha, but you'll have to walk into the hospital carrying Sasuke yourself. I can make it look like it was me who was killed, and the sharingun will alter Sasuke's memories," Itachi said. It was hard to believe he came up with all that on a whim, but that was the beginning of our master plan to get out of Konoha.

I jealously limped behind Itachi as he carried Sasuke to the more secluded side of the hospital. I would have given just about anything to be carried by _Itachi_ to the hospital, but it just wasn't possible. Sasuke was unconscious, so he had no way to walk to the hospital, and Itachi could only carry one overweight casualty at once.

Finally, we stood at the side of the towering hospital. Itachi carefully handed me Sasuke, and I cringed under the added weight my already worn body, had to carry. Slowly, I made my way to front of the hospital and Itachi disappeared, entrusting that I wouldn't lash out in a crazy killing spree, and make his little brother my first victim.

The thought was actually quite tempting, but I had no energy to carry it out. All the adrenaline wore off, and I collapsed, cradling Sasuke as far from my body as possible. Nurses and doctors saw us through the windows, and they rushed out to take Sasuke from me and carry us in on stretchers. They took us both immediately to the emergency areas. I passed out as I was carried inside, another new experience. It was odd to close my eyes and spiral down into the deep abyss of darkness behind my eyelids.

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OOOH!! The climax, the best part has happened.. This is where I get bored and stop reading.. Don't be like me! Read the next chapter! But first.. Give me reviews!! AUGH! 


	4. Part IV

You're probably not really caring or wondering what's going to happen next.. Just being polite aren't you! sigh Who am I kidding.. This fic sucks.. I don't care. I'm posting it anyways.. or reposting it.. Whichever.

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Chapter Four, How long is this?

I woke up, disoriented and confused, in a hospital bed. Everything was sore and it hurt to move. I almost tried to sit up, but was restrained by bandages and pulled down by severe pain all through my abdomen. I moaned loudly and involuntarily. A nurse promptly came into the room.

"Don't try to move too much, you were badly injured," She said in a soothing voice. "Here, let me help you. I'm just going to inject some painkiller. Try not to move, this will feel like a small prick."

I laughed at her. A small prick was nothing to the aches and pains I was becoming aware of, as my body awakened fully. She stared at me, slightly fearful, but still gave me the shot. I felt nothing when she pierced my skin with the metal prick.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said in a wary voice.

I realized I hadn't said a word back to her, just laughed like I was insane. She probably thought I was crazy, and was going to get people to take me away in straight jacket.

Minutes later, the nurse returned, escorting two anbu black ops into my room. I had a wild thought that they knew about me aiding Itachi in the forest and were going to arrest me, or something like that.. I looked more carefully at them. They looked almost exactly alike, except for the subtle differences that identified them as a man and a woman.

"We have some questions to ask you," the woman said in a suspicious voice, which she tried to pass off as kind and friendly.

"What kinds of _questions_?" I asked, flaunting my sarcastic tone.

"Be gentle, she is probably suffering some kind of trauma. She looks bad now, but you should have seen what she looked like before," the nurse whispered to the anbu, foolishly believing that I couldn't hear her.

I scowled viciously at them. I had wanted to lay down and sleep, but instead a pair of black ops had come in to interrogate me. I felt that I had a right to my anger. The nurse lifted me gently into a wheelchair. I would have fought her, but I couldn't really move while mummified in bandages. Instead I sighed as loud as I could. Maybe if I was annoying enough, they'd leave me to rot in the hospital bed, at least I could sleep that way.

The black ops seemed to have forgotten to interrogate me as they pushed me out the front of the hospital.

"Where was the fight Sasuke mentioned?" the man asked me now. Okay, maybe they hadn't forgotten.

I ignored his question, I was good at that. "How is Sasuke?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"He is awake, but not coherent.." the woman replied.

"Oh," I breathed the word. Great, this was just great.

"Lead us to the area of the battle.." the man insisted. Apparently, he had a longer attention span than the woman. That could be a problem..

I lead them as best as I could in a wheelchair through the treacherous forest floor. As we came closer to what I believed to be the scene of the crime, a pungent smell assaulted my nostrils. Like I hadn't suffered enough already.

The man crouched and signed something to his female partner. Then he disappeared into the dense shrubbery. The woman watched me without mercy, scrutinizing every breath I took. I took back what I thought about her short attention span. Then he came back. It startled me when I turned and the black ops was standing beside me. Those uniforms probably invoked more fear than the ninja themselves.

"There's a body just a few yards away. It has been mutilated and desecrated beyond recognition, but I think I can guess," he said solemnly.

"Take us there," the woman commanded. Jeesh, I didn't want to get on her bad side. Then I began to consider what he said. Obliviously, Itachi had done his job, and done it well. At least I think.

The woman pushed the wheelchair gingerly, I could bet my life on the fact that she didn't like me. The smell became stronger and harder to bear as we came closer. It was like nothing I had ever smelled before; disgusting, stomach turning, repulsive, the words didn't even hit the tip of the iceberg. The smell was so thick in the air it began to gag all of us. The woman anbu pulled out a couple of nose plugs. Gratefully I accepted the one she offered me. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

As we pushed past a pair of lichen covered trees, I caught sight of the body. At first, terror seized me, Itachi's Akatsuki cloak was shredded and strewn across the ground. This time my stomach lurched not from the smell, but what I was seeing. We came closer and I could see that decay had been accelerated by the heat of the sun and exposure to the elements. Sickening thoughts told me that somehow Oboro had survived and killed Itachi when he came back to rig the body. But the fears were quieted when I recognized a stray piece of Oboro's shroud. Itachi _had _done his job well, a little _too _well if you ask me. The anbu passed the dirt brown cloth off as a piece of the Akatsuki uniform that was white underneath the cloak. Obliviously, to them at least, the cloth had only been dirtied by the forest surroundings. Our plan proceeded perfectly, as the anbu assumed the body was that of Itachi Uchiha.

They asked me no more questions and I was taken back to the hospital in silence. After that, everyone assumed that Sasuke had killed Itachi. There was no mention of Oboro. Everything went smoothly and according to plan. I only had to make sure the sharingun had correctly altered Sasuke's memories.

The rumors of the tragic end to the murderer of the Uchiha clan had spread almost has quickly, as the medical nin had healed Sasuke. I had to hand it to the doctors at Konoha, they knew what were doing. I decided to pop in and check the effect of the sharingun while the rest of team seven visited.

When I walked toward his room, I saw the door propped open. I peeked into the doorway unnoticed. Naruto stood next to the bed, already picking a fight with Sasuke, it seemed. Sakura sat on the edge of the bed, scolding Naruto and cooing over Sasuke. Meanwhile, Sasuke stared at them blankly. I almost fell flat on my face from shock. There wasn't an ounce of malice in his expression. I could now easily connect him to the photo Itachi had given me. Is this why he had given it to me? If so, how did he know it would end out like this? I felt like the biggest fool ever.

Sasuke suddenly met my eyes, and again, it surprised me to see an innocent curiosity in his eyes. He stared at me, puzzled. I felt his eyes examining the few bandages left on my face and ribs; I was almost completely healed now. I stared back with one eyebrow raised, and took to leaning in the door frame. Eventually, Sakura and Naruto followed Sasuke's gaze to see me casually leaning on the frame of the door. Team seven gazed at me in a quizzical manner.

"Rain ninja aren't as good as you bargained, eh?" I said and chuckled a little.

As expected, all three stared back, even more confused than before. It relieved me to see that Sasuke was just as clueless as the rest.

"Well, I guess this is it. I doubt I'll see you around, so uh, bye…"I said dismissively.

" Um, yes. I wish you luck on your journey back to the Mist Village," Sakura replied, gaining her courage through her manners.

"You'll see me around, so don't you worry!" Naruto cried. Did he never stop going on about how he was going to be a famous hokage?

I waited curiously for Sasuke's answer. He seemed changed by the fact that he thought Itachi to be dead. Maybe Sasuke could become a better person. The hope was dim, but still there, as I watched his eyes patiently.

"Bye," Sasuke said, not even bothering to try to be polite, or anything _nice_ like that. The corner of my plastered smile twitched down toward my chin.

I turned and waved in a light hearted fashion, but all the while I was cursing myself for my stupidity. Maybe some people can change, but Sasuke wasn't one of them.

"Why was she talking about _rain ninja_?" Sasuke sneered when he thought I was out of earshot.

Why that little -!! I couldn't stand him. I stormed out of the hospital, fuming over my idiotic hopefulness. I would have gone in there and made sure he wouldn't be leaving to hospital for a couple of weeks, but I had other, _better_, things to do.

I went straight to the place where we had all battled. Itachi was there waiting for me.

"You're slow," he said calmly. Was this his version of impatience?

I walked up to him with my hands behind my back and my head turned skyward. "Better late than never," I commented, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. I was afraid to look directly at him, I might end up being unable to tear my eyes away.

We briefly met each other's gaze, and then removed our forehead protectors together. Posing as civilians, we hired a team of genin ninja to escort us to the Mist Village. This part was my idea. I suggested we escape the Mist Village, pretending to be a married couple. I mentioned married for my own reasons, but to my surprise, he didn't argue the point at all or ask about it, just agreed. Maybe it was imagination, but hmm.. I have my own guesses about why he didn't oppose the idea! My heart skipped a beat as thought about the things to come.

We arrived to meet the ninja team right on time. As we walked up to them, the blonde turned and gazed at me sullenly. Their sensei waved and turned the rest of the team's attention to us.

"This is Ino, and here are Shikamaru and Chouji. I am Asuma," he said in a warm tone, pointing at each in turn.

I smiled back with the same exuberant warmth and Itachi nodded his head. We set off immediately. It was a only a couple of days before we reached the Mist Village, and the trip there was uneventful.

The last connection we had with Konoha was as we waved, or more correctly I waved and Itachi nodded, to the team of ninja who had escorted us the Mist Village. I remember turning to face the somehow new, but old world of the Mist Village, grasping Itachi's hand. I smiled so wide that my face should have cracked, when he let me cling to his hand. I wonder if I hurt his hand, gripping it so tightly..

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Author's Note!!

I really hope you enjoyed this story. It was originally a romance, but I didn't want it to be gushy or boring. So I added some action. Key word there was, 'some.' But I still found my own story boring and uncaptivating. Hence, more action. It has become and action packed story, with a touch of romance. But whatever, if it keeps me reading when I already know what's going to happen, this has to be at least mildly interesting, right?!

I am expecting people to not appreciate my portrayal of the characters. This is because I originally wrote this as four pages with little knowledge about the characters I was using. I doubt fan girls or die-hard haters of Sasuke will like how I used him here, but I was only attempting to find a middle ground and make my storyline appealing. Please, don't injure me!! I have always had a hard time portraying Itachi, so his role in this story kind of sucks and does him no justice at all. The rain ninja was right out of the anime also, but combined with the demon brothers, fighting-style wise. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, the anbu black ops, Asuma, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji also played minor roles. I hope no one who likes these characters thinks I misused them character wise in this fan fic. I honestly tried. The main character was one of my first spin off characters of Naruto. I tried to make her seem a worthy opponent for a strong ninja like Oboro, but not an almighty character either. I wanted people to see that she was indeed smart, but Itachi, of course, easily outwits her at every turn. I tried to make her look good, so that I could use her to indicate the strength of the other characters, but it was hard when for the storylines sake, she had to beaten up again and again. She also has a sarcastically humorous side that I tried to manipulate to lighten up some parts of this fan fic.

About the sharingun, I don't know if I even spelled it right in this story. As for the part about it altering Sasuke's memory, I honestly have no idea if that's actually possible. I don't know everything about the sharingun, so I used my imagination. Yeah that weird thing that nobody talks about anymore, an imagination. Please don't laugh.

For the mean people who got stuck on my character's physical description in the first sentence, I didn't try to make her asian. I thought the black hair was cool looking in my head, and made her darker, so she was more fitting for Itachi as a partner. Now PLEASE, get on with your life and stop trying to accuse me!!! I'm only an idiot. I hope this story was accurate to the anime and was enjoyable. I also disclaim all characters, except for the unnamed main character, who uses the clothes only. They are Mamashi Kishimoto's not mine. Enjoy again if you're bored.


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